Bitcoin May Finally Have a Friend in Washington

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Blockchain companies and cryptocurrency investors have very few friends in Washington – but that may soon change, as first-time Democratic congressional candidate Brian Forde looks to win the important Orange County, Calif. seat this November.
Supporting Emerging Technology
With a campaign not even a year old, first-time politician Brian Forde hopes to support blockchain-friendly legislation in Congress.
More than just a simple blockchain proponent, however, Forde has some serious credentials. He was previously the director of digital currency at MIT’s Media Lab and served as a technology adviser during the Barack Obama administration. Additionally, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nicaragua, and has experience with emerging technology, since he co-founded low-cost internet phone service provider Llamadas SA at a time when the “tech wasn’t legal or illegal – it was just new.”

Politically speaking, Forde is primarily concerned with keeping and encouraging blockchain industries in the US, rather than watching the rapidly-growing industry set up shop in more crypto-friendly countries like Switzerland. He explained to Bloomberg:
You have to protect consumer rights and consumer safety, but we also need to allow for innovation. You want to create ‘regulatory sandboxes’ for …